“Be constantly at it. That’s why it’s called practice. But mere practice alone is not enough without proper vairagya.” (The Living Gita, Yoga of Meditation)
Think of a clock pendulum. That was my inspiration for this week’s theme. That back and forth movement ironically marks something that we think of as moving forward: Time. The ocean gives us a similar image with the to and fro of tides which is a rhythmic keeper of time and it shows this movement and change without going anywhere. Call me a simpleton, but I think that’s pretty profound.
I tend to think of time as a cycle, or, more like W.B. Yeats, a spiral. In this experience of motherhood, I relive my childhood as I observe my daughter at the same time that I rediscover myself as a woman. It’s so much easier to see and feel the passage of time when you watch a child grow. They change so much that they force you to change, and that is often not easy for me to do. I thrive on repetition and routine; I relish in the comfort of familiarity. That might be why I like a practice like yoga because as I become familiar with the postures and sequences, it is like a rhythm that I can take refuge in.
But when I really start to sit still and reflect on what my body needs on each unique day - or even each unique moment - I find that there is newness in every pose that I thought was the same. Sure, I know the alignments of warrior pose, how to go deeper or how to take it down a notch when I’m tired or sore. But when I really breathe and stay present, I know that it is not the same posture every time. I am not the same person every time.
That’s why I am sharing this sequence with you. Actually, I want you to think of it not so much as a sequence, but a template for adding dynamic movement to static postures like virabhadrasana (warrior), parvsakonasana (side angle), and trikonasana (triangle). With that dynamic movement between two or more postures, you start to see and feel a spectrum that each pose exists on and how you don’t necessarily have to go all the way into a posture to go deep on a mental and emotional level. You can have a satisfying practice dancing between the postures. I believe that’s what draws many people to vinyasa yoga; that’s definitely what I love about it.
Here I’m just zooming in on a short flow. You don’t have to do a lot of yoga to get the benefits; it’s much better to practice steadily, as it has been written in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: yoga is most effective when you practice for a long time without interruption.
YouTube video
Slow-ga
Do some physical activity that is repetitive and helps you destress and let go of your worries: biking, walking, running, yoga. It doesn’t have to take much effort. If you want to exert less effort, sit on a swing or lay in a hammock. The point here is to do something that has a back-and-forth motion like the sway of the tides or a pendulum as I mentioned above. As you allow yourself to enjoy this rhythmic movement, notice your mind and your breath. Notice that the breath is also its own back and forth movement.
*I’ve made this weekly post free as a gesture of gratitude toward all the inspiration and wisdom for my yoga practice I’ve received from so many generous people along my journey. I’ve often heard the saying that you should sing in the shower or dance in your living room as if no one is watching. I’ve had to do the opposite so far with Yoga Mama: write like everyone is reading, even though I have a handful of subscribers. I appreciate each and every one of you! Spread the love:)